Internal-combustion engine



Sept. 17, 1929. R. H. GERARD 1,728,3/40

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGIN E meu L 65.4.4

H/s A fm2/vtr Sept. 17, 1929. R. H. GERARD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINEFiled Sept. 28. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 u In.

f/Yl/E/YTOZ @OVH GERARD H/S A TTORNY INTERNAL COMBUST I ON ENGINE FiledSept. 28. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet lI5 l/Y VEN 702 @or H. GERA .Qa

H/S A TTOENEK Sept 17, 1929- R. H. GERAR 1,728,340

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed sept. 28, 192e 4 sheets-sheet 4 :Eig-7ig-H Hfs A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 1929 ROY H. GERARD. OrsANrInANoIsco,y CALIFORNIA, 'AssIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To BowenMOTORS oOMPANmA CORPORATION INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Application ledSeptember 28, 1926. rSerial No. 138,178.'

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly tovalve mecha`- nism for the same and one of the objects of the inventionis the provision of an internal combustion engine in which each Of themain .or power cylinders isyprovided with a single port thru which fuelis introduced into the cylinder and burnedr gases exhausted therefrom. i

Another yobject of the` invention is the u provision in an engine of thecharacter described of improved valverk means for ,con-

.trolling the single port in 'each cylinder.

Another object of the invent-ion is the pro f vision in an engine` ofthecharacter rdescribed of a singlevalve cylinder opening at one end intothe exhaustmanifold and at the other end into the intake manifold andprovided with a single lport opening into the power cylindeiytogetherwith'a selector valve the movement of which determines which end of thevalve cylinder is in communication thru ythe port ywith the 'powercylinder. f y i Other objects Of the invention will be set forth in thefollowing description of the preferred embodiment of my invention whichis illustrated in the drawings forming rpart of the specification. It isunderstood that Iy do not limit myself toy the showing made by the saiddescription and drawings as I may adopt variations of my preferredembodiment within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.i i Referring to the drawings:

Figure l1 is a vertical sectional view take-n in a plane passing thruthe longitudinal axis ofone of the cylinders yof anengine em'- bodyingmy invention, the plane of section is indicated by the line 1-.1 ofFigure 2.

Figure 2 is ka plan view of a four-cylinder engine embodying myinvention, the direction ofthe view being indicated by the arrow 2 ofFigurel. i i y Figure 3 is an elevation `of theupper portion of theengine, they direction of view being indicated bythe arrow in Figure 1f.

` A portion of the housing is shown broken away to disclose theunderlying structure.

yFigure l isan `elevation of the upper porrclose the cam shaft., y fFigures, 6, 7 and 8 are largely diagrammatic views showing a cylinder 1nvertical tion of my engine, the direction of theviewk being indicated bythe arrow 4 ofFigure 1. n

The housing is: shown broken away to dissection with-its associatedvalve mechanism. The plane of section of each of these figures yis thesame as thatof Figure 1.

- In terms Of broad inclusion, the internal 'i combustion engine of thisinvention `comlprises a cylinder block in wliichone or more powercylinders are incorporated,`each associated with a transverselyextendingvalve .fcylinder, preferably located across the upper end ofthecylindervin a vertically arranged engine. The valve cylinder isconnected with thepower cylinder by a single port approximately in theymiddle of t-he valve cylinderya-nd one rend of the valve cylinderis fyconnected'into the fuel supply manifold while the other end isconnected to tlieeX# haust manifold. The yvalve cylinderis di- `videdyby a movable `wall or selector so that with movementof the selector toone side or n ythe ,other of the, main cylinder port, either the intakemanifoldor the exhaust manifold,

[as the casemaybe, is placed in communica-y tion with the powercylinder. In order to `secure a highly sensitive and close control ofthe port opening, it is preferable to mount the selector valve within asleeve rigidly projecting into the valve cylinder; and to arrangeamovable sleeve between the fixed sleeve and the cylinder` Wall.' Theyrfixed sleeve has a portwhichy is in line with the m'ain cylinder port,and they movable sleeve n has a port adapted to be brought into regis?ter with the main cylinder kport so that the main cylinder port is alsocontrollable by the movable sleeve. The function ofthe selector f' valveis to determine which side of the valve cylinder, that is exhaust orintake, is placed in communication with the cylinder port; i and thefunction -of the sleeve is to close and open thisport at the propertimes independently of the movement of the selector valve to itspositiony on one side orthe' other of the port. Means areprovidedoperated mediatelyafrom the` piston for harinonizing Athe cylinder 8.

rlection of oil in the usual manner.

the movements of the selector and the sleeve valves; and this meanspreferably comprises a cam shaft driven by suitable gear connection withthe crank shaft of the engine, to which cam shaft the valves areoperatively connected by suitable means.

ln the following detailed description, reference will be madeprincipally to a single cylinder and its associated mechanism asindicated in Figure 1. The principles of vthis invention may be appliedto any number of cylinders and in Figures 2 and 4 is-shown afour-cylinder embodiment.

Mounted in suitable bearings 2 in the bed frame 3 is the crank shaft 4connected by the connecting rod 6 with the power piston 7 slidablyarranged in the usual fashion in rlhe bottom of the bed frame comprisingthe crank case is closed ,by the cover plate 9 having the heat radiat-.ing flanges Aildisposed thereon and carrying onv the inner bottomsurface a trough 12 into which the clipper 13 on the end of the va partis suitably secured to the bed frame A3 by the cap screws 17 and isprovided with suitable passages 18 for the circulation of the coolingwater in accordance with the standard or desired practice. Mounted onthe top of the cylinder block and separated therefrom by the usualgasket 19 is a valve block 2O in which are cored the cooling waterpassages 21, the uppermost of which is closed by the cover plate 22.Also formed in "the valve blockl and extending transversely therethruover the end of each cylinder is a. valve cylinder 23 opening at oneend, on the left side of Figure 1 thru the passage 24 into theexhaustmanifold 26, rigidly secured on the side of the valve block. At

the kopposite end the valve cylinder opens thru the passage 27 into theintake manifold 28. The intake manifold is secured rigidly on the righthand side of the valve block as viewed in Figure 1 and receives its fuelmixture thru a passage 29 extending thru the valve block in registerwith a passage 31 in the exhaust manifold. This passage extendsdownwardly to the carburetor V32, of any well known type, and because ofits inclusion within the walls 33 over which the burned gases ofcombustion sweep, the fuel vgases are suitably heated and liquidparticles of fuel are vaporized upon the hot walls. rlhe carburetor isfed from the usual. float chamber 34, which in turn receives liquid fuelthru the pulsometer 36 connected by y a passage 47 extending entirelyaround the valve cylinder and out of which opens the port 48 thru whichall fuel and burned gases of combustion pass into and out of the powercylinder from and to the valve cylinder.

Extending into the valve cylinder from the left side, as viewed inFigure 1, is a sleeve 49 having the port 50 in register vith the port 48and assembled between the rings .51 and 52. rfhe ring 51 is caughtbetween the shoulder at the end of the valve cylinder and acoinpressible gasket 53 facing a flange formed on the bushing 54, theinterior of which is given the shape of a Venturi tube. The bushing ismade heavy and is in thermal Contact with the metal of the valve head soas to protect the fixed sleeve which it lines from the effects of thehot gases which pass thru this end of the valve cylinder. The ring 52 isinterposed between the end of the fixed sleeve 49 and the end of thefixed sleeve 55, which at the other end seats in the intake manifoldaround the passage 27. Slidably disposed in thevalve cylinder, betweenits walls and the fixed sleeve 49 is the sleeve valve or movable sleeve56 having the piston rings 57 and having a port 58 adapted to be broughtinto register with the port 48. Preferably this port is somewhat widerthan the port 48, as shown in the drawings. Slidably mounted within thefixed sleeve 49 is the selector valve 61, slightly dished as shown, andpointing toward the exhaust manifold. On the concave side which facesthe intake manifold, the selector is provided with ribs G2. rilhe reasonfor this construction is to permit the heat which theselector takes upfrom the exhaust gases to be utilized in vaporizing any liquid particleswhich may be entrained in the fuel stream. The separate piececonstruction and mounting of the fixed sleeves is suggested by thedifficulty of perfectly alining parts subject to such 'ide ranges oftemperature. By the construction adopted, the fixed sleeves centerthemselves and the parts work freely without binding, the compressiblegasket-53 permitting expansion. y y c .y

Means operated mediately from ,therpower pistons is provided foractuating the selector 61 and the sleeve valve 56. Bolted on the righthand side of the cylinder block, as viewedin Figure 1, is a. bracketplate 66 on which brackets 67 are formed. Journaled in these brackets insuitable bearings 68 is a cam shaft 69 connected by the gears 71, shaft72 and gears 73 with the crank shaft 4. The cam shaft is also utilizedthru the gears 74 and shaft 76 to drive the distributer rotor. The camshaft is provided with a cylindrical cam 77 and a pear-shaped cam 78opposite each valve cylinder. Engaged with these cams are rocker arms 79and 81 respectively, pivotally mounted on t-he shaft 82 mounted in thebrackets 83. The rocker arm 79 is pivotally connected by the link 84with the sleeve valve 56; and the rocker arm y81 is pivotally connectedby means of the link 86 with the head 87, adjustably fixed on the rod88, fixed at the other end in the selector 61 and passing thru the gland91 in the wall of the intake manifold. Y are pivotally mounted on thesame shaft 82, the rocker arms are separated and shown as though mountedon separate shafts in the diagrammatic Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, an eX-amination of which will disclose the method of operation of these parts.The parts are so shaped and assembled with? relation to each other that,as shown in Figure y5, with the piston 7 at the top of the intakestroke, the sleeve valve 56 is stationary with its port 58 in registerwith the cylinder port 48, and the cylinder valve 61 is on the eX- haustside of the port 50, so that the alined ports and right hand side of thevalve cylinder complete a free passage between the explosion chamber 41and the intake manifold 28. The valves remain in this position duringthe intake stroke, but at the bottom of this stroke and prior to thebeginning of the compression stroke, asshown in Figure 6, the cam 77 hasmoved the sleeve 56 to close the port 48. In order to accommodate andthe ring 51, a passage 92 is formed within the wall of the valvecylinder. As the piston ascends on the compression stroke, the selector61 is moved toward the 05 port 50 and at the moment of explosion, asshown in Figure 7, the selector covers the port and the sleeve 56 hasstarted its recovery movement toward the right. As the piston reachesthe bottom of. its explosion stroke, the selector has reached the intakemanifold, or right hand side of the port 50, and as the piston startsupwardly on the eX- haust stroke, the sleeve valve has moved backwardlyto again aline the ports 58 and ,615 48, thus clearing a passage for theexhaust 50 yagainst the passage of the flame back yto the Although allof the rocker arms the trapped air between the end of the sleeve` fgases to yflow freely thru the Venturi tube end of the valve cylinderinto the exhaust manifold.y f f i It vwill be noted that yby reason ofthe passage 47 surrounding thelmovable sleeve,7o valve, the effect ofthe explosion is dis`ly tributed evenlyraround the entire Valve, so thatthereis no tendency for the valve to stickv duringy the ignition of thefuel. It will also benoted that at the moment of ,.75 explosion, ytheselector 61 covers the yports thus providing a double `assurance intakemanifold. The exhausting. burned gases are ofcourse very hotand theheavy bushing 5,4 offers notfonly 'amechanical protection andshield tothe lighter parts which vit covers, but also tends to dissipatetheabsorbed heatby reason of its thermal con- V tact with parts overcwhichcooling water a5 flows. Since the bushing necessarily ob-m structs thepassage, the interior orifice is given the Venturi shape to increase thevelocity of the gases at this point. yAlthough the dra-wings,`particularly Figure r1, n disclose the ports 50 and 58 as comprised ofalined slots separated by a narrow bridge,

yit is tobe understood that the bridge portion is merely tostrengthenthe two parts which wouldi otherwise be separated and that the sleevesare not thereby doubly ported. There is but a single port 48 at the topof the explosion chamberin each cylinder and the apertures in thesleeves are to be considered as single ports, since they are,;..100 ineffect that and the bridge separating the two portions of the port inyeach sleevecould ybe omitted if desired.

a In order to protect the various yworking parts of the engine, it ispreferable to enclose it and this is done by providing' a housing 93over the rocker arms and cam shaft and in which is left an openingadjacent the cam shaft normally closed by the door 94. A similar housing96 encloses the 2110 f float chamber, carburetor and' distributer and anopening normally closed by the door 97 gives access `to the protectedparts.` f

I claim: f

1'. In an internal combustion engine, a A115 main cylinder, a piston insaid main cylinder, a valve cylinder opening at one end into the exhaustmanifold and at the other end into the inlet manifold yand `having aportopening into the main cylinder, yaported ,i

sleeve slidably arranged to control the cylinder port, a selectordisposed within the 'sleeve and movable from one side of the ccylinderport tothe other, and means acting in time with 'thek piston foractuating 125 said sleeve and selector.

i 2. In an internal combustion engine, a main cylinder, a piston in saidmain cylinder, a valve cylindery opening at one end into the yexhaustmanifold and at the other end into the inlet manifold and having a portopening into the main cylinder, a ported sleeve slidably arranged tocontrol the cylinder port, said port opening in a passage surroundingsaid sleeve, a selector disposed Within the sleeve and movable from oneside of the Cylinder port to the other, and means acting in time Withthe piston for actuating said sleeve and selector.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a main cylinder, a piston in saidmain cylinder, a. valve cylinder opening at one end into the exhaustmanifold and at the other end into the inlet manifold and having a portopening into the main cylinder, a ported sleeve slidably disposed in thevalve cylinder to control the cylinder port, a selector disposed 1vithinthe sleeve and movable to connect the cylinder port With either end ofthe valve cylinder, and means acting in time With the piston foractuating said sleeve and selector.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a main cylinder, a piston in saidmain cylinder, a valve cylinder opening at one end into theexhaustmanifold and at the other end into the inlet manifold and havinga port opening into the main cylinder, a ported sleeve slidably disposedin the valve cylinder to control the cylinder port, a fixed sleeveextending into the slidable sleeve and having a port in register' Withthe cylinder port, av selector slidably arranged in the fixed sleeve andmovable from one side of the porttherein to the other, and means actingin time With the piston for actuating the slidable sleeve and theselector.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a main cylinder, a piston in saidmain cylinder, a valve cylinder opening at one end into the exhaustmanifold and at the other end into the inlet manifold and having a portopening into the main cylinder, a ported sleeve slidably disposed in thevalve cylinder to control the cylinder port, a selector disposed Withinthe sleeve and mov-4 able to connect the cylinder port with either endof the valve cylinder, rocher arms respectively connected at one end toeach of said sleeve and selector and pivoted at the f other end, a camshaft driven mediately by the piston and cams on said shaft forimparting motion to said rocker arms.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a main cylinder, a piston in saidmain cylinder, a valve cylinder having a port opening into the maincylinder, a ported sleeve slidably disposed in the valve cylinder tocontrol the cylinder port, a fixed sleeve Within the slidable sleeve andhaving a port in register with the cylinder port, a selector slidablyarranged in the ixed sleeve and movable from one side of the porttherein to the other, means acting in time with the piston for actuatingthe slidable ROY I-I. GERARD.

y set my hand.

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